PRESIDENT Donald Trump said the US has been "ripped off" by China for many years as officials from the two countries prepare to hold talks in Washington tomorrow over trade ties and future deals.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he doubted the trade talks with China would turn out to his satisfaction.

Trump said: "We have been ripped off by China, an evacuation of wealth like no country has ever seen before, given to another country that's rebuilt itself based on a lot of the money they've taken out of the United States, and that's not going to happen anymore."

During interviews at The Oval Office on Thursday, Trump stated that he did not expect a positive outcome from the meeting.

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Explaining his comments, Trump said: "The reason I doubt is because China has become very spoiled. The European Union has become very spoiled.

"Other countries have become very spoiled because they always got 100 percent of whatever they wanted from the United States. But we can't allow that to happen anymore."

According to US government data, the US ran a trade deficit with China of £277billion ($375.2billion) in 2017.

And in the first three months of 2018, the shortfall was £67.8billion ($91billion).

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Donal trump has accused China of 'ripping off' the US in the past

The latest round of talks between the two nations sees both parties trying to avert a damaging tariff war.

The Trump administration has demanded a £148billion ($200billion) cut in China's US trade surplus and greater protections for intellectual property.

Trump has threatened to impose up to £111billion ($150billion) in punitive tariffs to combat what he says is Beijing's misappropriation of U.S. technology through joint venture requirements and other policies.

Beijing has also threatened equal retaliation, including tariffs on some of its largest U.S. import, which including aircraft, soybeans and cars.